Numbers & numerals

Numbers & numerals Lessons for copyeditors  By Jeff South VCU School of Mass Communications

In general: • Spell out whole numbers below 10. • Use numerals (figures) for 10 and above. • This applies to ordinal numbers, too: • first, second, third, 10th, 22nd, 100th ...

Examples: • They had 10 dogs, six cats and 97 fish. • We saw 12 cities in four days. • That’s the third test this week. • She finished 15th in the class.

Now you try! • I bought (9/nine) books. • I bought nine books. • She caught (24/twenty-four) catfish. • She caught 24 catfish. • On his (2nd/second) try, he wonthe election. • On his second try, he wonthe election.

Addresses Ages Aircraft Dates Highways Money No. 1... Percentages Speeds Sports Temperatures Times But there are exceptions And dimensions

Use numbers for: • House numbers in addresses • 901 W. Main St. • 5 Oakland Ave. • 18 E. Broad St. • Ages • Smith, 23, … • … 3-year-old Bobby … • … 6-month-old puppy

Use numbers for: • Aircraft, spacecraft • B-1 bomber • Apollo 15 • Boeing 747 • Dates • Sept. 6 • May 12 • Dec. 25

Use numbers for: • Highway designations • Interstate 95 • U.S. Highway 250 • Route 1A • Monetary units • $7 • 5 cents • $412 billion

Use numbers for: • No. • Virginia Tech is ranked No. 1 ... • The No. 2 team is ... • The United States was No. 3 ... • Percentages • 1 percent • 45 percent • 0.4 percent

Use numbers for: • Speeds • 5 mph • 100 mph • 50 knots • Sports • They lost, 3-2. • He caught a 9-yard pass. • … 5 under par

Use numbers for: • Temperatures • 5 degrees above zero • in the 80s • 9 degrees below zero • Times • at 6 a.m. • after 11:20 p.m. • But: noon, midnight

Now you try! • They live at (9/Nine) Grace St. • They live at 9 Grace St. • She is (7/seven) years old. • She is 7 years old. • The (F-4/F-Four) crashed. • The F-4 crashed. • The meeting will be on May (6/Six/6th). • The meeting will be on May 6.

Now you try! • Take U.S. (1/One). • Take U.S. 1. • It costs (10/ten) cents. • It costs 10 cents. • They are ranked No. (1/One). • They are ranked No. 1.

Now you try! • Less than (1/one) percent • Less than 1 percent • It was going (20/twenty) mph. • It was going 20 mph. • The Mets lost, (5-4, five-four, five to four). • The Mets lost, 5-4. • It was (8/eight) degrees. • It was 8 degrees.

Now you try! • At (8/eight) a.m. • At 8 a.m. • The record was minus (12/twelve) degrees, set at (3/three) a.m. on Jan. (4/4th/Fourth). • The record was minus 12 degrees, set at 3 a.m. on Jan. 4.

Dimensions • Use figures and spell outinches, feet, yards, etc. • He is 5 feet 6 inches tall • The 6-foot-3-inch man … • The car is 12 feet long and 5 feet wide. • The 9-by-12 rug • The storm left 4 inches of snow.

Ordinal numbers • Political designations • 7th Congressional District • 3rd Ward • 12th House District • Court system • 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals • 10th District Court

Ordinal numbers • Military titles and organizations • the 5th Battalion • For 2nd Lt. Bill Turner • the 101st Infantry • Street names • First Street … Ninth Street • 10th Street, 11th Street, 22nd Street • 9 Second Ave., 440 45th St., 56 E. 21st St.

Now you try! • She lives at seven twenty-ninth St. • She lives at 7 29th St. • A candidate in the 7th House District … • A candidate in the 7th House District … • The Fifth U.S. District Court • The 5th U.S. District Court

Now you try! • The U.S. 11th Armored Cavalry • The U.S. 11th Armored Cavalry • … to Second Lt. Emma Wyatt. • … to 2nd Lt. Emma Wyatt. • The building at 100 North First Avenue • The building at 100 N. First Ave.

Write out numbers: • Beginning a sentence • Twelve students were arrested. • Numbers under 10 (unless coveredby a previous rule) • She bought seven books and two pens. • Fractions • Two-thirds, one-fourth, a fifth ... • Casual numbers • It’s happened a million times.

Recast sentences • Don’t write: • Fifteen semester hours is the limit. • Instead, write: • The limit is 15 semester hours.

Now you try • They live on (9th/Ninth) Street. • They live on Ninth Street. • The (1st/First) Amendment • The First Amendment • I have (3/three) cats. • I have three cats.

Now you try • About (2/3 or two-thirds) of the students voted in the election. • About two-thirds of the students voted in the election. • He had (a dozen/12) reasons for missing class. • He had a dozen reasons for missing class.

Now you try • 15th Street is closed, but 14th Street is open. • Fifteenth Street is closed, but 14th Street is open. • More than 3/4ths of the voterssupport the 1st Amendment. • More than three-fourths of the voterssupport the First Amendment.

Now you try • We have 1,000,000 reasons to be thankful. • We have a million reasons to be thankful. • The ambulances took 7 people to the hospital, and three needed surgery. • The ambulances took seven people to the hospital, and three needed surgery.

Roman numerals • Individuals • William Hearst III • Wars • World War I, World War II • Popes & kings • Henry VIII • Pope Paul XI

Now you try! • King George 6 • King George VI • World War 1 ended in 1918, andWorld War 2 ended in 1945. • World War I ended in 1918, andWorld War II ended in 1945.

Now you try! • James the Second was oustedfrom the British throne. • James II was oustedfrom the British throne. • Pope John Paul, II, is in poor health. • Pope John Paul II is in poor health.

Numbers & numerals